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Trans‐Regional Transport of Haze Particles From the North China Plain to Yangtze River Delta During Winter
Author(s) -
Zhang Jian,
Yuan Qi,
Liu Lei,
Wang Yuanyuan,
Zhang Yinxiao,
Xu Liang,
Pang Yuner,
Zhu Yanhong,
Niu Hongya,
Shao Longyi,
Yang Shushen,
Liu Hang,
Pan Xiaole,
Shi Zongbo,
Hu Min,
Fu Pingqing,
Li Weijun
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-8996
pISSN - 2169-897X
DOI - 10.1029/2020jd033778
Subject(s) - haze , delta , environmental science , inorganic ions , particulates , china , environmental chemistry , sulfate , yangtze river , atmospheric sciences , coal , total organic carbon , soot , nitrate , physical geography , chemistry , meteorology , ion , geography , geology , combustion , organic chemistry , archaeology , aerospace engineering , engineering
According to atmospheric modeling and satellite observations, cold fronts can cause trans‐regional transport (TRT) of haze particles from the North China Plain (NCP) to Yangtze River Delta (YRD) in winter. However, compositions and aging of haze aerosols during the TRT have not been studied. We showed the TRT PM 2.5 dominated by organic matter (OM) (30%) and secondary inorganic ions (36%) in the NCP and 29% and 60% in the YRD. Following the TRT, abundant spherical primary OM particles (i.e., tarballs) (71% by number) mainly from residential coal burning in rural areas of the NCP unexpectedly occurred in the YRD. The inert tarballs display similar sizes (∼300 nm) and O/C ratios (∼0.15), but the mixture of nitrate, sulfate, and secondary OM as the coatings completely convert the hydrophobic tarballs into hydrophilic ones in the TRT. The aging and transport of tarballs from the NCP to YRD further indicate that the TRT not only brought various trace gases (e.g., CO, SO 2 , NO x , and VOCs) but also carried large numbers of nanosized primary particles (e.g., tarball, metal, fly ash, and soot) with secondary coatings over 1,000 km. The findings suggest that these many nanosized tarballs containing brown carbon and highly toxic species in the NCP influence regional climate and human health in northern and eastern China, which needs more attention. Although the NCP and YRD have different energy consumption structures in winter and are two isolated administrative regions, we emphasize the need for a coordinated cross‐regional emission reduction strategy for TRT haze control.